Seeing Double
by lis.liss.lisss
Summary: Horace has two baby girls; two baby princesses. One will eventually take the throne and what about the other? Worried, he puts one in the orphanage and raises the other as crown princess. But he gave up the wrong child. Used to be "It Started with Two"
1. Prologue

Prologue

RA

3 Person POV

It had been a while since their battle with the Arridi, Tualaghi, and Bedullin. After that, Halt had been getting older, and was considering taking the gold oak necklace. Will had been captured by the Temujai once already, and he did not come back the same. He was broken and battered, yet he did not offer them any information at all. He was scared of his own shadow. Nobody knew how he had gotten back alive. The one thing he was afraid of most was leather. He could not stand it. He said that he smelled like pain and blood.

Horace had married Cassandra and Will had married Alyss. Will and Alyss had one girl, named Mellissa, and Horace and Cassandra had identical girl twins, the older named Evelyn and the younger named Adelair. This is where it all started.

"Will! I don't know what to do," Horace said in despair.

"What about?" Will asked.

"I have two daughters the same age! Two! What will happen when one of them takes the throne?"

"I suppose you will have to choose the better one, won't you?"

"What if they start fighting? All because one is queen and the other isn't?" So this is what Horace was afraid of. He was afraid that the two would destroy each other in jealousy over the throne.

"I am sure that it would be alright, Horace."

"No. I know what I have to do. I am going to keep the older one and put the younger one in the Redmont ward." It seemed simple and ingenious enough for Horace. This way, when Evelyn took the throne, Adelair could not be jealous because she would have had no way of knowing. And, since Will lives in Redmont, he would be able to look after her.

"WHAT? No! Listen to me, Horace. This is a BAD idea. I can feel it. You can't _abandon _your daughter. What if she would be a better queen than Evelyn? Is Evanlyn going to go along with this?"

No matter how much Will tried to talk Horace out of it, nothing could be done to change his mind. So, when Adelair was two and a half years old, she was put in the Redmont ward. Her name was no longer Adelair Altman, it was Adelair Johnson. Her parents had died in the Temuja'n Battle two years ago. The same war that claimed Will's sanity and left him for the long recuperation (he is okay now, except for the nightmares) and left Horace, the king, perfectly fine after a victory.

**whaddya think?**


	2. A Possible Apprentice

Chapter 1 RA

3 Person POV

14 YEARS LATER

"Halt, have you seen Will? I cannot find him anywhere!" Crowley said.

Halt laughed. "Have you checked the yard outside his cabin?"

"'Course I did! He does not do anything but practice shooting arrows!" It is true. Ever since the Temujan War, Will could be seen at all hours of the day slamming arrows into targets. Long, short, at angles, on his knees…

"Did you check the forest? Up a tree?"

"Damn it." When Will was not out in the yard, he was in a tree. He says that it helps him think better.

So off Crowley went. In the forest, he heard squirrels climbing trees, rabbits thumping around, birds swishing through the air as they flew, and a familiar _thunk, thunk, thunk. What is that boy doing shooting arrows in the forest? _Though Crowley.

"WILL! GET OVER HERE!" he hollered.

"Yes, Crowley? What is it?"

He looked around. Then he looked up. He could see Will's grinning face up a tree. He pointed a finger down and Will jumped, landing at his feet. "Do you know how long I have been looking for you?"

"Ten minutes in the meadow and about five seconds in the forest. Why are you here?"

"I am here because… Did you ever consider taking an apprentice?"

Will blinked. "I should think that I had one for the last ten years." Will's daughter, Mel, had always wanted to be a ranger, but Alyss wanted her to be a diplomat. She was quite good at both and throughout her childhood, she was trained by both Will and Alyss. She was the first woman to be a ranger and the first double-field specialist. She already has a laurel leaf pin and a silver oakleaf, and works for the ranger task force as an expert negotiator and close-combat fighter.

"Your daughter does not count. I am talking someone from the Ward."

"No, not really."

"I did not think so. Listen, I think that you should keep training other people, Will. I was looking at some of the kids in the Ward, and I saw one particular girl who has some talent. Their Choosing Day is coming up in two months, you know." It was not just that Crowley wanted more apprentices, he wanted Will to teach the good ones. He was the best shot in the entire country and everyone could learn a thing or two about willpower.

"Really? Tell me about her."

"She is incredibly courageous and smart. She knows how to fight and when to back off. She talks really well and has wormed her way out of many situations." Oh no. This was starting to sound a little too much about a certain girl Will was looking after…

"What is her name?"

"Adelair Johnson."

**Hi! So I luuuuuuuv the RA series!**

**What do you think?**

**REVIEW!**


	3. The Break In

Chapter 2 RA

3 Person POV

Over the past month, Will watched, listened, and observed. He knew that Horace would not want his daughter to be a ranger, but that did not matter. He gave up is right to parenthood fourteen and a half years ago. If Adelair Johnson was fit to be a ranger, so she would be. As he was watching, Will noticed good things. Adelair was well-liked by her peers and she seemed to know when to fight it out and when to let things go. When she did fight, she knocked them to the ground quickly or grinded them with her words. Best of all, she was always able to build up a solid understanding and mutual respect with her enemies. Adelair Johnson _had _to be a ranger. _Oh, the things I miss out on when I am surrounded by trees, _Will thought.

The only down part was that Will had absolutely no idea how to train an apprentice. Halt had told him to do what he had done. When that does not work, improvise.

Will knew that he had to take Adelair Johnson as an apprentice. He already spoke to Baron Heny (the new Baron Arald, he died in combat). Now it was time for the test.

Later

Adelair Johnson POV

I woke up slowly. It was late at night and everything was dark. _Someone was coming into our room. _He came in and started taking our stuff. He took Allie's favorite doll and Eva's only thing left of her parents: a small stone. He took Colette's ring and Claudia's necklace. He was taking one thing of sentimental value from each person. How did he know who treasured what most? Why was he here? Who was he? I had to do something. If they woke up in the morning with their most valued possessions gone, they would be crushed. I would be crushed. I could have done something but I did not. I thought fast. I could not wait to confront him outside, he could get away. He looked too strong for me to fight. What if I just bonked him on the head and let him pass out? If I did not hit him hard enough than he would definitely attack me. No one would be able to hear me scream through the thick stone walls. Besides, I did not have anything to attack him with. I guess I would have to try talking to him. Get him to slip up.

My heart was pounding. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins. I felt dizzy. Good thing I was lying down and pretending to sleep. Here I go.

"Stop," I said. He froze. "What are you doing? Give us our stuff back." He did not speak. I did not give away his voice. It was too dark to see his face. All I could tell was that he was short, and he was wearing a cloak that blended into the darkness and a weird scabbard for two short swords.

"Why would you want any of this stuff? Give it back." I could think of plenty of reasons why. Revenge? Blackmail? The thing that baffled me was that there was no really good motive. He could not get much money from these things. He could used them as a lure to kidnap us, but what good would that do?

"If you want them back, you will have to convince me to give them back." His voice was exceptionally low. I could tell that he was disguising it. "You do not need these things."

"Because Allie would cry forever and that ring is the only thing that Colette has of-"

"Why would I care about your friends?"

"Because you are a ranger and you swore to protect us, not steal from us! If you do not give them back, I will report you! I will scream!"

"What makes you think that anyone will believe your word against mine? Who can hear you through these walls?"

"Everyone in this room. If all of these people in here see you and can describe you in individual interrogation, I do not think that anyone will think you are so innocent."

"And how are you so sure that I am a ranger?"

"Because you just said that! Any non-ranger in ranger clothing would have kept me thinking that you are a ranger to divert suspicions away from yourself. Plus, who would be able to steal anything from a _ranger?_"

He threw the bag of stuff to Adelair then left. She put everyone's stuff back in their places. At the bottom of the bag, there was a note:

_Good job._

_ Do not tell anyone._

_ It was for a good reason, I promise._

_ Ranger Liam Barty_

Weird. Why would he tell me his name?

**Like it so far?**

**Can you guess how I chose the name Liam Barty?**

**Nobody is really reviewing... is nobody reading? :(**

**Check out my House of Anubis fanfic (Rufus is Back). I guess it is a lot better: I have 23 reviews! (versus 2)**


	4. Lefty

**Sorry I haven't been updating... doesn't matter though, since no one is reading, correct? :(**

Chapter 4 RA

3 Person POV

Will was gone. To anyone, it was like he never existed. Sure, everybody liked and respected him, but to the farmers, he was just a ranger, and rangers scare them. A new one moved in to Will's old cabin, Liam Barty. What kind of name is Liam? The townspeople wondered and wondered, but that is all they did. They are rangers, after all. Liam Barty took home a new apprentice, another girl, named Adelair Johnson.

"Liam?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you from?" Liam raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, you look familiar, but your name is unusual." It was true. He had fair hair and brown eyes. He also _always_ wore long-sleeved shirts.

"I'm from here, moved around, and came back," he said airily.

"Liam?"

"Yes, Della?" She blinked.

"Della?"

"That would be you." Liam grinned.

"Why do you always wear long shirts? It is absolutely _burning _outside."

"Do you always ask so many questions?" Della fell quiet. Then, she raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, answer me!"

"I did, I just answered with a question." He sighed. "Protect my arms from the sun, yeah? I had a nasty encounter in the desert."

For the next week, Della watched Liam, and never did he even roll up his sleeves. Later, Della was practicing with arrows. As her shots spitted right into the bull's eye, she did not feel happy. There was no satisfaction that she saw wipe across Liam's face every time an arrow went by. She was perfectly good at shooting, but deep down, she was a hands-and-feet girl. And deeper down, she was a tongue-and-staring-contest girl. That was what was bothering her. The only reason she was a ranger was because she requested it. What if she had requested diplomat? Also, why would Liam attempt to rob us? Della was so confused. She wished she had Benjy with her. Benjy, the laughing, brown haired boy she had slowly fallen in love with. Benjy, who had kissed her under the fig tree. Benjy, her knight-in-shining-armor-in-training.

"Della! Tell me what is bothering you." He always knew. So she spilled. Just not about Benjy.

"Del, I chose you because you chose us. I didn't just accept you, I did not prevent you from your choosing," Liam said slowly. They were sitting in the grass, under the trees. The arrows haven't been picked up. The grass was cool, like sitting in water. The sky was blue with puffs, almost so beautiful that it looked fake.

"But what if I can't do this fighting thing?"

"Del, you can fight. I don't know where you got that from."

"Not just that, it's that whenever you shoot an arrow, you look… happy. Whenever I shoot an arrow, I feel… same."

"I enjoy shooting arrows; I have done it for 30 years now. It is okay if you don't like to. You're a fist-fighting girl. You would feel the way I feel when you are punching someone's eye out."

"Have you seen me doing that?"

"I have seen a lot of things. I have seen you with Benjy, for instance." Della suddenly looked alarmed, then relaxed. She could share with Liam. He was more of a father than her real father would ever be.

"I miss Benjy. He was the only one who understood." Suddenly, childhood taunts flooded back to her. _Witch! Witch! They all laughed. _She felt tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She threw a knife a tree branch so hard that it split and landed in Liam's lap.

"Kindling for your fire," she muttered. Liam just stared.

"Don't you get it? I'M LEFT-HANDED! THAT'S WHAT THEY TEASED ME ABOUT! They called me witch. They thought I had weird powers. My only friends were the girls in my dorm and Benjy. Benjy and Eva and Allie and Collette and Claudia." She fell back on the grass. She wasn't crying; she was too strong for that. She was just staring at the sky. Liam stared more.

"Throw this. With your right hand," he said, tossing her a stone. She did, just because. It went 50 feet. "Throw this. With your left hand," he said, tossing her another stone. It went even farther.

"What? Stop staring at me!"

"Del, do you realize what you are? You aren't just left-handed, you're ambidextrous. You can fight with both of your hands, just like you can fight with both of your skills. Physical and mental."

"What? You're insane or something. I taught myself to do that, that way no one would bother me." Liam shook his head.

"Since you don't seem to like my opinion, I guess I will have to take you to see a special friend."

**OOOO CLI- oh what am I kidding.**

**IS ANYONE OUT THERE ACTUALLY READING WHAT I AM WRITING?**

**I feel sadness. :'(**


	5. Liam Barty is not who he Says He Is

Chapter 5 RA

3 Person POV

Del knocked on the door. It was one of the rooms that were given out to permanent residents at the castle. The door was answered by a beautiful girl of medium height, with brown hair and serene blue eyes. Del could not help feeling like this girl was familiar. However, this girl was slightly… backwards. For one thing, instead of just one tag on her necklace, she had two: one oakleaf marking a ranger and one laurel leaf marking a diplomat.

She gasped. "You are Will Treaty's daughter!"

"I am glad you know my father. He was a good man," she laughed. "My name is Mel, you know. I know yours. Come in, Della."

Del stepped inside the cute little room. It opened into a small, open area with a kitchen to the right. There was a living room in the back with several comfortable chairs and a table and a door leading out to a small field. In the back right corner there was a closed off space, probably the bedroom. The most interesting part of was the fireplace. It was round and right in the middle of the suite. One fire could heat the entire room!

"Mel, how old are you?"

"Seventeen. Are you wondering about these things?" She flapped her necklace. "Grew up learning. By the time I was 15, there was nothing to learn and I passed all the tests and things. But on to more important things." She flopped on a couch and waved Del to a seat. However awkward these movements might seem, Mel managed some how to make them graceful. "Are you ashamed of yourself?"

"…I guess. I do not know. Just… unsure I guess."

"What is there to be unsure of?"

Looking at Mel, just sitting there radiating graceful happiness, Del finally realized that she was who she was, and when people bullied her, she should have smushed their tongues in. "Nothing, except for Liam. He wears those long sleeves all the time. Why?"

"Oh that. Actually, no one really knows. I think that is a secret he has to tell himself."

"OOOOO-kay."

All of a sudden, Mel started laughing. She nearly collapsed, her sides heaving with laughter. "What is so funny?" Suddenly, Del understood. She understood why Mel was so familiar. Her eyes smiled the same way Liam's did. What if Mel was Liam's daughter? Except Liam is not Liam. He is Will Treaty in disguise.

**I'M BACCCKK! DIDYA MISS ME?**

**Sorry for the long wait... :(**

**Also sorry this chapter is really crappy. The next one (coming SOOOOOOON) should be better, although I cannot really remember my plot... If anyone has any ideas, review them in! :)**


	6. Finally

Chapter 6 RA

3 Person POV

Practice, practice, practice.

That's all it was for the next couple of weeks. Until the attempted capture of the Queen. Strategically, it was very smart: the Queen was the more skilled in politics, with her gone Horace would be confused and sad, and everyone knew that Evelyn was definitely not fit to take the thrown.

When Horace arrived at Will's little house, it was early afternoon and both were still out in the field. If he had heard what they had been talking about before he shouted hello, he probably would have stood there in shock.

Earlier:

"Liam? Who are my parents?" Liam blinked. That question was direct and out-of-the-blue. Where did that come from?

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. They fought in the Temuja'n War. They _died _in the Temuja'n War. You _must _have known them _somehow._ Tell me what they were like." He sighed. This brief little dialogue had lit a flame in his stomach, which he quickly stamped out. He turned to face her full-on, his big brown eyes uncharacteristically hard.

"The Temuja'n War was brutal. The Temuja'ns themselves were nasty and cruel. They were unfeeling, emotionless assassins. Many died during that war, and many living souls died with them. Some people," he subconsciously rubbed his left arm, "are still suffering. Your father was a great knight. Strong, brave, and skilled. He had a lot of friends too. He and your mother were best friends apparently. I regret knowing them better." This whole mini-monologue was told in a strange bitterness. He hated these lies. Her father, the King, his _best friend_, was alive and well. He did not suffer as much as Will did. Three years in the desert was what they gave him. Three years of hopelessness and pain. Della saw the flash of something in his eyes and backed off.

Now:

"Hello? Liam? Come down from the tree and talk to me!"

"I wasn't up a tree, Horace, you dope. I'm right here!" Liam materialized behind him. Horace started.

"God, Liam! Don't do that!" He grinned.

"Don't do what?"

"Ah!" Another grinning face appeared behind him. Wait a second… this one looks familiar.

_Oh my god. Is that the King? _ She dropped into the best curtsey she could manage in pants. "Sorry, Majesty."

"Haha, it's okay." He looked at Will. "Hello?"

"Oh right. Sorry. Horace, Della. My apprentice. Della, Horace. King of Araluan and biggest goofball you will ever meet." Horace's eyes narrowed. "Hey, Del, go get Halt, would ya? He would want to see Horace."

"Uh… Okay. Nice to meet you, Your Majesty." With a quick curtsey-thing, she ran off. It would take a while for her to come back, which was just as well for the both of them. Both men steeled their eyes and clenched their fists.

"Will… Why the hell is my daughter your apprentice?" He seethed.

"One: Horace, I told you. Never, _ever, _call me Will. Will. Is. Gone. Two: she's my apprentice because she has talent, and you don't waste good. Three: she's not your daughter anymore."

"And why the hell would you say that? What are you talking about? Of course she's my daughter!"

"No! You gave up that right when you put her in the Ward fourteen and a half years ago," he roared.

"And who would you say is her father? _You?"_

"No. And now I can finally tell you you screwed up, Horace. We were both orphans. Weren't there times when you missed your mom? Your dad? You could still remember them, I'm sure. But Della and I? We have no memories. None. And she's built her life around a lie: her mother and father died in the Temuja'n War. Do you know who died? Thousands: Crowely, Malcolm, many others. How many towns were raided and burned? I know that the town my mom and dad lived and died in was burned down. People I loved and cared for: gone. But you aren't. You claim yourself to be dead. You claim a hero's death when you are very much alive to tell the tale. _Do you know how much other people were hurt?"_

"_You think you're the only one that's hurting? _I'll tell you something, Will-"

"_Stop calling me that!" _He hissed.

"Why? That's your real name!"

"Will is gone!"

"What are you talking about? _You're _Will. Will is _right here."_

"You wanna know why I changed everything, Horace? It's not just because Crowely told me to in case other people targeted me, it's because I felt like if I could pretend that I was some other person, then I could convince myself that none of this," he waved his arms wildly, "had ever happened." His voice went soft. "Three years, Horace. Three years I was gone. Six months I waited. I waited for someone to come get me. To tell me that everything would be alright. Then I lost hope. The rest of the two and half years, I waited. I waited to die. Three years, Horace. Three years I guess you forgot."

Horace's heart broke. That was this was all about? How could he be so selfish, so _stupid? _Will- Liam had been held in captivity for three goddamn years and what about him? A stab wound and a broken arm. Much less drastic than what had happened to Liam.

"Liam," he forced the name off his tongue, "I'm so sorry. I wanted to, but I was King. I couldn't. And… We thought you were dead. They gave us a burned and batter body. We thought it was yours. You don't know how bad it was. Alyss refused to talk for days, it was the first time I saw Halt cry, and I personally wanted to go and set the desert on fire. The only thing that held me back was Cassandra. She told me that the only thing we could do, even if it was the last thing we ever did, was win the war. For all the people that died in the war, for the loved ones lost, and especially for you. I don't know how we pulled it through. But we did it. And then I lit the desert on fire. Just for you." They stared at each other for the longest time. Blue eyes on brown eyes. Both stares contained hurt, pain, confusion, anger. But the blue eyes could see something else in the brown eyes: relief maybe, that they didn't abandon him. Relief from an important question answered. Liam finally let it go: that deep hidden fear that he had kept close to his heart. His friends didn't find him because they weren't looking for him, but they did look for revenge.

"Thanks, Horace," he croaked. Then he turned around and ran into the forest; probably to climb up a tree.

**Hey guys.  
Wooof. It's been a while.  
Sorry for never posting. I kind of lost it and didn't feel like it, but writing again was great.  
This was mostly a filler chapter so that I can figure out where to take it up as far as plot goes.  
Please please please review with comments and suggestions.  
Thank you to all who got me thinking about writing again; you guys really touched my heart. 3  
Liss **


	7. What!

Chapter 7 RA

Horace sighed and went inside to wait for Halt and Adelair. This was going to be awkward. He put some coffee on the fire. He turned around and jumped when he saw her standing behind him with fire in her eyes.

"Is it true?" It was not a question. It was a statement. A demand. "Is everything you just told Liam true? _Are you really my father?_" Horace could only stand there in shock.

He swallowed, "You heard that?" How lame could that be? _Nice going._

"YEAH I HEARD THAT. THE WHOLE VILLAGE PROBABLY HEARD THAT. How can my own father abandon me in an orphanage and come back fourteen years later just expecting me to come running back in to his arms? Worst of all, _how could he claim a hero's death? You're clearly alive!" _She was on fire. She never felt this… _angry, dark, steaming._

"I- I- Del-"

"Don't. You. Dare," she hissed. With that, she spun around and sprinted out the door.

She didn't know where she was going, but it helped. Running was the next thing after sparring that helped run off steam. Suddenly, when she almost ran in to a door she realized where she was going: Battleschool.

"Miss, you can't-" The soldier at the gate tried to stop her from going in, but she just waved her cloak at him.

"Just. Let. Me. In," her eyes just begged him to start a fight. He stepped aside and she sprinted in noiselessly.

Where was he? He was always here when she needed him. He should be here somewhere because she needed him right now. She was standing on the edge of the courtyard looking for him. The courtyard was an open field in the middle of Battleschool where the soldiers could go to just do… whatever they did during free time. There! She found him standing around with a bunch of friends. She took off again ignoring the weird looks she was getting from everyone. It didn't really help that she was the only girl there. She collided right in to him, threw off her cloak, and threw a punch to his right shoulder.

"Spar with me." He ducked another jab.

"Delly, no, we are going to get in trouble."

"Don't worry about it. Three of your assistant trainers and your Battlemaster are watching us. And don't forget, I think the king is watching from over there too." Right hook, left jab, roundhouse.

"Wait, what?"

"Just fight, would ya?"

By now, everyone was just watching them in awe. He wouldn't hit a _girl,_ would he? Not sweet old Ben, right? But then again, girls _have _been getting tougher these days. And man, this girl could fight. Block, kick, punch, and all of a sudden they were on different sides than they were two seconds ago. And they were barely trying. Then, right out of the blue, both of them just collapsed on the ground panting.

"So, ya want to tell me what's going on?" He touched the side of her face.

"Yeah… but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to," she said. "I better be getting back. I'll see you in a couple days?"

"Yes… Take care of yourself." With that, she was gone. The moment was over and everyone went back to staring at him.


	8. Crown Princess

Chapter 8 RA

Adelair walked slowly back to Liam's little cabin, wishing she had anywhere else to go. She didn't want to eat, sleep, talk to her _father,_ or anything. She mostly wanted time to stop so she could sit there and figure out what she was supposed to do, what she was supposed to think. Should she be happy that she met her father? Not many other orphans get this chance. And on top of that, her parents are the very _King and Queen of Araluen? _She should be rejoicing at the top of her lungs. She should be jumping up and down, ready to spring into the arms of her father. But, on top of this mountain, she could not. Her family had abandoned her. It was late when she whizzed through the door with intentions of making it to her little room with as little contact with anyone as possible. However, Horace had been waiting for her, head in his hands, coffee untouched, for the past hour.

"Adel-"

"I don't want to talk to you." She was about to leave when he spoke again.

"You're good at it, you know. You're good at fighting." He wracked his brain for something meaningful to say. However, he could find none. He couldn't find anything that would be of any worth for her, his own daughter to hear. Except one thing: the truth. But how does a person just come out and say the truth just like that? With no preamble? It seemed impossible, or at least undiplomatic.

"Thanks." Even if Della didn't want to talk to him, the King was the _King, _and she was pretty sure she wasn't allowed to leave unless he said she could. She was also pretty sure she shouldn't be addressing him this rudely, but, well, he deserved it, or so she thought.

"Did Liam teach you?" _Conversation starters… Come on, let's go._

"No," her eyes flashed. "The kids at the Ward taught me. They taught me I needed to defend myself. Liam just made me better."

"What?" Horace hadn't been aware of fighting problems at any of the Wards, and if there were any, that was just unacceptable.

"Old-school bullies, people who can't keep their anger in their heads, _crazy robbers who aren't really robbers," _she raised her voice at that notion, and above in the rafters, Liam smiled. "Nothing to worry about, really. Thank you for caring, _Your Highness. _Thank you for asking about my well-being. THANKS FOR ABANDONING ME."

"I didn't aban-"

"Are you _kidding? _You left me in the Redmont Ward when I was two and a half years old. Not even in your own fief! Not even in a fief remotely near yours! I don't even share _your last name._ You practically disowned me." Both of them were standing now, staring at each other from across the room. Della's cheeks were a blaring red and Horace's normally peaceful blue eyes were tearing. He could tell that with the harsh training that would come along with the terrible events she would go through, the two blue eyes across from him would freeze, turn from the peaceful sea to a frozen lake. Another difference from her twin; so many things Horace had missed out on.

"I wonder if you know what I was worried about. I wonder if you know that I was worried that when it was time for one of you to take the throne, you would destroy each other over it. _I have seen it happen!" _They were both starting to yell and the temperature rose from red-hot to white agony.

"Well don't you think that if you actually _raised _both of us, you would have let us know- you would have _taught _us- that! As our _father,_ you would have made sure why whoever took the throne took it! You could have made us _understand_ instead being a coward and sacrificing your family. I wonder what my own mother thinks of this!"

"Your mother doesn't know." Horace's voice was suddenly so quiet, so shameful. He was done defending himself. All he had now was the shame, the _stupidity_, clawing at his heart, climbing over his shoulders, nestling in his hair.

"_What?"_

"She-she thinks you are dead. She thinks you drowned playing in the river." This piece of information was hard to swallow down. Everything else went down like water. This was going down like honey.

"So I'm _dead _now? _Do I have my own grave, too? _Do you at least go down everyday to lay down flowers as a memory of your forgotten daughter? As a way of trying to support me from the outside as I move on with life without a family?" Incredulous, ridiculous, unbelievable. This wasn't happening.

"Actually, I do do that." He was whispering now. "Everyday, during that light-dark time of the day, when the sun is mostly down but not all the way, I lay down one pink carnation. Your favorite time of day and flower." Della just stared.

"How did you know that?"

He smiled softly, "I didn't abandon you, I swear. Liam sent me letters along with the head of the Ward. Whenever there were issues to deal with concerning Redmont, I always volunteered to go personally under a disguise, just to check on you." With that, Del couldn't help but feel relieved. Sure, her own father hadn't been there to raise her, but he had tried as much as he could, even if it wasn't much. And with grudging acceptance, she could even sort of understand why he had done what he did. It didn't mean she liked or supported his actions, but they weren't completely unreasonable. Maybe extremely unreasonable, but just a hair understandable.

"Here, I drew you something." Reaching for a piece of parchment on the plain wooden table, he extended it to her. "Actually, I just chose the flowers, but your mother grew them in her garden and your sister did the rest. She really is a magnificent artist." It was a painting of some sort, but it was beautiful. A large piece of parchment painted over with thin strokes of dark blue pigment, it depicted a scene during the dark-light time of day with pink and orange carnation petals floating through the air. Della didn't know how she managed it, but in the background there were light strips sliding across to imitate sunlight.

"It's beautiful… This better not be bribery."

He shook his head. "No, I just wanted you to have it." Then there was silence, the awkward kind that fell when no one knew what to say but knew that the conversation was not over yet.

"So… Why did you come back? What are you here for? Just visiting?"

Horace sucked in a breath, afraid of what would happen next. "I want to take you home, back to Castle Araluen, as Crown Princess. I want you to be the next Queen."

**Hey guys!**  
**Woo! It's been a while.**  
**Well let me know what you think.**  
**Don't forget to review because reviews give me courage and motivation. :D**  
**Thank you to my last several reviewers who randomly found my fic or hunted me down and told me to write even though all hope seemed lost... You guys know who you are.**

**Hugs and kisses! LOL**  
**Lis.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 RA

The trip to Araluen was _long._ Della had not been sure whether she wanted to go or not, but in the end, it was Liam who figured it out for her. It was at dawn the next morning. Both of them liked to go on long runs before the day began as a way of exercise and patrolling the villages he watched over. Over the few months Della and Liam had been apprentice and teacher, Della found her stamina growing and was surprised to see that Liam knew most of the villagers' names. Now she knew many people as well. "Being a Ranger doesn't just mean protecting the people by fighting in wars," he once told her, "it means knowing the people, respecting the people, and making their lives better everyday."

They had been running along for a while now, the rising sun warming their backs.

"King Horace wants me to go to Castle Araluen with him," she blurted out. Liam glanced sideways at her and kept jogging.

"Your father?"

"I have no idea what to think of him." Della, in turn, stared straight ahead.

"He's a good man, you know. I'd be proud to have a man like him."

She snorted. "He's the King."

"We're _mates_ before King and subject. Best friends growing up." Another sidelong glance.

"Do you think I should go? Do you think I would really be a good Queen? I'm an orphan!"

"So was Horace, and look what he has become now. So was I, and I think I'm doing damn well now." When Del still looked unsure, he continued, "Listen. Although most people wouldn't believe it, I personally believe that rank shouldn't come from birth, but from intellect. Personality. Dedication, flexibility, leadership, and the ability to work with other people. That's what the King and Queen are. They aren't rulers who look to cheat people. They are simple people who run the kingdom and keep everyone healthy. Or at least that's what they ought to be doing. And maybe that person could be you one day, with that pretty boy, Benjy, eh?" He raised his elbows and grinned. Del simply smacked him.

"He still left me behind."

With another sigh, Will said, "Okay, I am going to tell you something very personal, so listen up." At her sharpened stare, he began, "Horace and I, even my own mentor Halt, we truly don't know what parenthood or fathership should look like, feel like, or sound like. I never met my parents nor had a second name until I received my silver oakleaf: I had been truly alone. My father died in the First Wargal War and my mother was killed in her own home." Del thought she heard him mutter, _A true hero's death_, under his breath but made no comment.

"Horace lost both of his parents and was placed in the Ward when he was five. That might be even crueler, to know your parents and lose them.

"Halt's story is the worst of all. His father was actually King of another country and his twin brother wanted the crown. When he tried to kill him, Halt finally ran away and found refuge here.

"Maybe you won't be Queen, and that's fine. But this is why Horace sent you here: he didn't want to destroy you too. I messed up my family; I pushed my wife away when I needed her most and I don't treat my daughter the way she deserves to be treated. I can't and I regret it. I would trade my own oakleaf if I could meet my parents and ; I don't have that chance, but you do. Take it."

It might have taken a lot of convincing, but Della finally agreed to travel to Araluen with Horace as long as Will, Mel, Alyss, and Ben could come too.

"Ben?" Horace frowned when they arrived by at Liam's cottage. "Who is Ben?" Liam just grinned mischievously, thinking about his own childhood.

"He's a friend," Del said mildly.

"He's a knight," Liam added.

"A knight?!" Horace's eyes widened and played a tennis match between the two Rangers.

"What's so bad about a knight? You were a knight."

"Befriending the future Queen of Araluen?!"

"The potential future Queen of Araluen. And I thought knights were supposed to be noble and stuff."

"Like father like daughter," Liam reminds him.

"Stop that." Del rolls her eyes at them. "He's smart, doing well in all of his classes, fights well, and is well-liked by his peers. Please?"

Unable to say no to anyone with his wife's eyes, Horace relented. "Okay…"

**The travelling scene is next… which is honestly more interesting, but this seemed like a natural place to stop. I'll be working on it right after I post this!**

**I hope this chapter provided some more background information and a little foreshadowing (psst: Will/Alyss will be happening! And I'm bringing back Sean!)**

**The next one will be better and up soon, promise (for real this time). :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 RA

"I'm too old for this," Halt grumbled as he ate his bread and meat, sitting cross-legged in the grass.

"Blame this one for bringing you along," Mel laughs, bumping Del on the shoulder. She just turns to her and grins.

"Don't complain, Halt. It could be worse: we could be going to Skandia." Liam smiles nostalgically and leans against a log.

"Only on our third day and Halt's complaining? We have a whole week more to go!" Horace waves at his daughter and she smiles back.

The journey so far had been uneventful. Fall was approaching and the colors of the leaves were beautiful.

Being the bear he was, Horace stood up and volunteered to look for food. "Maybe I can find a rabbit that will keep Halt busy," he grins easily.

"Hoooorace, you know that I like cooking rabbit stew!" Liam protests playfully, mock frowning.

"I can't even cook food without being criticized." Halt pulls out a knife and carves something into a piece of wood.

"Oh calm down," Della chides them. Then she looks at her father, "Can I go with you?" When he says Sure! and holds out his arm, she just sticks her tongue out at him. "Race you!"

While Horace and Della are out hunting, Liam wanders into Alyss' tent. He finds her rearranging her bag: neat and tidy she always was. She always liked everything compact and close at hand while Will kept everything where it landed on the floor, claiming that he knew where everything was and that was good enough for him. It drove her insane when they were married. He shook his head against the memory.

Alyss throws Liam a thin smile as he sits next to her. "You break my heart when you keep doing this," she tells him quietly, fiddling at something hidden by a fold in her cloak. He straightens her cloak and sees a silver oakleaf pinned right over her heart.

"You kept it," he murmurs. The oakleaf and other insignia of work were always worn around the neck as a necklace to indicate the profession of a person, but after the Temuja'n War, Alyss had taken to pinning her husband's oakleaf over her heart in memory of him. This one simple action of love had caught on and even now, fifteen years after the war, people wore their deceased loved ones, their spouses, their partners in life and adventure, over their hearts. He does not deserve this honor.

"You left me, but I still miss you." She bites her lip and traces his eyebrows. She remembers bringing him home. No one else knew how he made it home from all the way across the desert, but she does. She remembers everything she did and all of the dying souls. She remembers… Oh dear Lord, she prays, I did it out of mercy. Forgive me.

"I would have given everything up for you." He leans into her hand.

"You did. But that's not what I wanted. Just look at you. You're still hurting after all these years." She remembers telling the children that Will packed up and left, but in reality, he died.

"I'm a broken man. You deserve so much more. I don't remember much of the past. Everything is blurry. You deserve someone who remembers why he loves you." He woke up one day, quite literally a different man. A man who, instead of climbing over his obstacles, blew holes right through them. No one could blame him.

"It doesn't matter. There's no one else I want."

He kisses four scars that climb a ladder down her neck. "You deserve someone who won't accidentally kill you in his sleep. You deserve a father for your child."

"Melly misses her papa. She thinks he is dead."  
"He is," he says shakily. "I can't love you like I loved you before. I-I don't know why."

Alyss just looks at him sadly and nods.

When Horace and Della come back, they are not alone. He is accompanied by two younger men around Della's age. One of them has dark hair that has obviously been cut with a knife when it got too long from traveling. He is thin but has good posture. The man leaning on him is big and bulky, all muscle. While the thin one is clean-shaven, or as clean-shaven as he could be, this man sports fuzzy cheeks and a funny hat that looks like deer antlers.

_Skandians. _Liam almost smiles.

However, neither of them is in particularly good health. They both sport battle wounds and scars. The thin man has his left arm in a splint and the muscle man favors his right side. Their clothes are ragged and they are too thin, almost fragile, and the Skandian lost a lot of muscle tone. The speed of their eating and the bruises on their shins indicate that they have not had anything healthy or hearty, or anything much at all, to eat in a long time.

As the group approaches, Horace introduces everyone. The thin man is Connor and he has a little freckle above his left eyebrow that dances when he frowns. The Skandian is called Aspen and his fingers are the thinnest part of his body, looking light and nimble enough to play a piano or violin.

They ate rabbit soup (Mel ended up cooking it) and patched everyone up. Connor quickly wiped the tears from resetting his arm and Aspen gingerly touches his newly stitched-up stab would.

Finally, Halt asks the much-awaited question, "What the hell happened?"

"We were attacked," they say sullenly. "The Temujai have taken over Hibernia and Skandia."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 RA

Halt could remember the last time, and the time before that, he had to fight against the desert people. He could remember watching Will say goodbye to his own little girl. Mel grew up under the care of Pauline and Crowley while her papa went to fight and her momma went to assuage, each working for victory and composure in their opposite ways. The next time Will would see his daughter, she would be nearly thirteen. He lost the better part of eleven years because of this goddamn war, and after only four years of peace, he had to do it all over again. The people who know, himself, Alyss, and Horace, of Liam's secret identity never say his real name aloud. The word had been taboo for years, for reasons only Will, and maybe Alyss, knew.

The entire war had been started by a single accident. Years before, the Arrida desert had started experiencing droughts, leading to several series of revolts between tribes until the Tualaghi inevitably took over the entire mass of land. At the same time, drought had hit the Eastern Steppe of the Temujai as well. Thus, the Temujai moved south and the Tualaghi moved north to the nearest source of fresh water which, coincidentally, happened to be the Sea of Rostov, shared by Toscano and Aslava. Each nation lived peacefully for a while, but eventually, four large cultures sharing one lake brought problems: sanitation, conservation of water, the abundance of fish for food, the destruction of natural habitats. Finally, one night, just after four months of sharing the water, a little boy wandered out in the late summer air and drowned in that very lake.

Angrily, the ruler of the Tualaghi sought revenge, for that little boy had been his own son, but the Temujai, seeing the advantage of having them as an ally, blamed the Aslava even though no one knew the truth. The Aslava were a peaceful people who depended upon their isolation and protection from the Toscano. The Tua-mujai defeated them easily. Today, they are no more. The Tua-mujai then turned their eyes on the Toscano, who were dangerously outnumbered and grudgingly surrendered to avoid more deaths.

However, not long after the Tua-mujai's victories, a harsh winter came. The Tualaghi, not used to the weather, soon began to die from illnesses the Temujai and Toscano were already immune to. Taking a chance, the Toscano called in friends from Araluen to help them defeat the Temujai and take back their land. Skandian warriors and Hibernian and Gallican volunteers aided the Araluens, and thus started the Great Temuja'n War, the first global war in history.

The War lasted four years. Araluen, Toscano, Hibernia, and Skandia defeated the Temujai, but not without enormous losses on each side: Baron Arald, Malcolm and many of his friends, Erak and sixteen other Skandians Halt had come to know personally, and Old Bob the horse trainer, were just a few of the thousands who died.

Every time Halt remembered that last day of the War, he kicked himself for not realizing the signs. Will hadn't been there when the white flag was raised or when Horace, Cassandra, King Duncan, himself, and Alyss negotiated the treaty. He had barely even noticed when the Temujai leader had made the passing remark, "_Will the Treaty be written on oakleaf parchment?"_ with a snicker. Will hadn't been there because he had been captured and carried all the way to the Eastern Steppe, a land that had once been rich but had dried up into a desert land in the five years it had been abandoned. Assumed dead, a search party had been sent out to look for his body but to no avail. It took them three years to figure out that he had been trapped by the Temujai all this time, and no matter how much they owed the rest of the world, Will was a prisoner of war and thus considered Temuja'n property, and Araluen's policy of not negotiating with enemies still stood.

Halt's thoughts were interrupted when Connor told them that his father urged him to run away and seek help from a man named Halt.

"That's me."

"My father is King Sean of Hibernia," he told him. "I am the son of your sister Caitlin's son. The Temujai are looking for revenge and no one is safe, especially not the people of Araluen nor the family of Will Treaty."

**A filler chapter.  
Sorry for the wait, guys! I haven't abandoned you, promise.  
Most of this chapter was written with rangerrobbin's questions in mind (thank you for the feedback!)  
If you have any plot questions, review them so I can answer them in the story or PM you back (or save the idea as a plot twist).  
The rest of the back story should be revealed as snippets, too!**

**Liss**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 RA

"We need to travel to Castle Araluen," Connor said next. "Araluen is the only nation left who has any hope of saving the rest of the world. Araluen is next."

"We are going there now," Halt told them. "Travel with us. We can protect you and you can help us defeat the Temujai."

"There is barely any hope left," Aspen sighed.

"Don't you dare talk like that," Liam growled. "As long as we still live and breathe, we fight. We never back down." He sighed. "Why is the family of Will Treaty in danger?" Only his closest friends could discern the hiccup before his name.

"Because he was an influential figure and basically won the war," Aspen answered easily. "That's why he was captured. The Temujai wanted one last laugh, the power of a famous war hero, the sadistic pleasure." Halt's eyes slid toward Liam's cross-armed figure. Liam continued staring Aspen down.

"Will Treaty is dead," Liam huffed.

"That's not what the Temujai believe," Connor cut in. "They believe someone betrayed them and helped him escape. They are angry, bloodthirsty, and powerful. The damage they will wreck to Araluen will be so much more than our home countries combined. So please hurry. We need all the time we can get."

_A reason exists for Liam's hatred towards leather. It is because leather was the Temujai's favorite material for whipping him. And when they were done listening to his screams, they liked to gag him with the same strip of leather and take him to be healed up with no anesthetic. It was times like those when Will was most ashamed of himself. He nearly begged for warmweed._

Liam woke with a start in his tent. They had traveled a week since Connor and Aspen had joined them. Only a day's walk waited for them. They were all safe, but he could not help but be apprehensive. He went out to climb a tree. The Temujai had always kept him under ground. The farther away he was from it, the better.

They finally made it to Castle Araluen. Since it was late at night, everyone decided to meet with the Queen in the morning after rest and some food. Horace left to sleep with his wife but the rest were given private rooms with new clothes.

Still caked with mud, Della simply wanted a bath and to go to sleep. "Excuse me," she called out to a tall stranger. "Where might I take a bath?"

"There is a labeled path on the right of the door as you exit the castle. You can't miss it," he replied. She thanked him and hurried off. If she had slowed a little or turned around as she walked, she would have seen the man go into Liam's chamber. But why? Who was he?

At the edge of the path leading to the bath stood a sign with a piece of redstone on the ledge. The sign had _BATH OCCUPANTS _painted on with blue letters with the number _one_ scribbled underneath with redstone. Della took the soft stone in her good left hand, rubbed out the three, and wrote _two._ She heard a gasp. Spinning towards the sound, she saw several servants raking three fingers across their hearts: the sign to ward off the devil.

"Back off," she muttered. "I'm no witch."

People in her hometown were always wary of witches. Della knew full well that witches and witchcraft did not exist. They were only looking for a way to exploit or get rid of people who were weird or different. People who did not belong. People like her.

"You better watch out," Della jumped. Connor was standing right next to her, whispering in her ear. "The Temujai are lovers of the left-handed. Don't let anyone suspect you." He turned to glare at the servants who quickly dispersed.

"Are you accusing me of something? Spit it out," she hissed. Connor held up his hands in surrender.

"I only want to make sure you're safe." He lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head in an admittedly adorable way.

"Okay, fine. Now shoo," she said. "I need to clean myself up." Connor pouted.

"Now, Lady Della, is that any way to treat a prince?" He grinned, eyes sparkling.

"Forgive me, your high prince-y-ness," dropping into a mock curtsy. "But really, off you go. I need to make myself presentable for the royalty."

"See you tomorrow." With one last smile, he left. Della sank into the hot spring, worn out.

"Connor was awfully nice." Della jumped again.

"Oh, Ben! You scared me."

"Be careful around him. You can never know anything for sure with royalty," he said seriously. _Well, it seems that I am royalty now,_ Del thought.

"Give it a rest, Ben. I'm tired, sore, and hungry, Connor was just being nice, and all I really want is to be clean and sleep for ever." It took all of her willpower not to blush when she realized they were both naked and very close to each other. The water was foggy and distorted with ripples so it wasn't really like she could see anything anyway- wow, Ben's eyes are really pretty- Della was jerked out of her thoughts when the man in question dumped water on her head.

"Come on, don't be grumpy!"

"Benjy!" She splashed him. The two of them spent a while outside, playing like little kids. It's a miracle no one caught them.

**Wow, I kind of really suck.  
So... boy drama?**  
**Come back, everyone! I've missed you!**  
**The big meet-the-Queen chapter is coming up next!**  
**Review and I'll give you a sneak preview to the plot!**  
**xoxo**


	13. Chapter 13

RA 13

The next morning found a very frustrated Adelair sitting in front of the mirror in her spacious chamber, trying to figure out what to do with her hair. It had gotten pretty long since the last time she cut it; it was now down to the middle of her back. She usually threw the horse's main into a braid and pinned it up, but she thought she should be a little more formal if she was going to meet the bloody Queen- and her mother?

"Uuuunfffff! Why is royalty sooooo- hmf- so bloody _royal?_" She flopped dramatically onto the bed, her brown hair flaying out around her. She had always liked the color of her hair; it reminded her of trees. But now it could be horse dung for all she cared. "I wish I could cut it," she muttered. Della wished she could be more like Mel- so sophisticated and calm and all-knowing (the little git) but so pretty and graceful and friendly and funny- duh! She should just get Mel to help her out!

While running out the door, Della ran into Liam. She tried to dodge past him saying, "Okay, unless you know that to do with this ridiculous bird nest on my head, get out of my wa- eeeeeeei!" She squealed as he picked her up and settled her down on a chair. Della looked beautiful today in a light blue gown with silver trim that drew out her mother's eyes. The off-the-shoulder neckline emphasized her slender shoulders while the dropped waist drew the eye to her hips and well-defined waist. Simple and elegant. She will be attracting quite a few today. Liam gently combed through her hair.

"Your hair would look lovely if you left it down, but I know you wouldn't like that and with that neckline you would do better to pin it up…" he mused. Della was surprised. The gentleness in his hands definitely did not come from shooting arrows and neither did the fashion sense.

"And how would you know that? I can't even see what you are doing! Don't start messing around now!"

"I had a daughter, once," he told her. His eyes gazed into an invisible memory. "Or rather, my daughter had a father once. You remind me of her-"

"She's beautiful," Della whispered softly. Liam froze.

"What?"

"She has her mother's hair and her father's eyes."

"It's the other way around for you."

"Do I look like my mother?" Della asked him. Liam grinned.

"Very much. I think you're the prettier twin, but don't tell anyone," he whispered with a chuckle. "There, done. Now come to the mirror so you can see my masterpiece."

A masterpiece it was. Liam had weaved a braid onto the top of her head so that it traveled back into a fat braid with the rest of the hair that was left hanging. He had then pinned that braid into a neat bun. "Very you, with just a little bit of _royalty_," he teased her.

"Thank you!" Pulling out an ivory cloak from the dresser, she hurried toward the door. Right before she left to find Ben, she turned around and said, "Go to your family, Will. They can help you heal much more than you can ever protect them." With that, she was gone and those words haunted Liam for the rest of his life.

"Wow," Ben stuttered. Della giggled.

"Chin up, mouth closed, lover boy," she whispered. "We are going to see the Queen!" She pushed the words _my mother_ out of her mind. She knew she was coming, right?

Horace met them at the entrance to the ballroom. "Breakfast is being prepared for all of us," he said. "We better go in first."

Queen Cassandra was talking to someone when the walked in, but when she saw her husband she strode forward. She was even more beautiful in real life: her long thin blonde hair looked elegant in a thin braid and the light purple asymmetrical dress brought out the best in her skin tone and blue eyes.

"Horace, I thought you went to retrieve our guests! And Evelyn, I could have sworn you were wearing peach instead of blue this morning…" Della did not know whether to blush or tear up at that moment.

"Cassie, there's, uh, something you need to know…" Del's eyes widened. He didn't tell her? What was he doing last night? "This isn-"

"Mum, have you seen my silver hair comb? I can't find it anywhere."

"'t Evelyn," he finished. Looking at Evelyn was like looking into a mirror. They looked exactly the same except for the different dresses.

"Who are you?" Cassandra asked sternly. "I do not appreciate trespassers or imposters, although you do look extremely alike. Leave imme-" When Horace whispered something into her ear, her eyes welled up with tears. "We'll talk later," she hissed. To Della, she said, "What is your name?"

"Johnson, majesty."

"First name?"

"Adelair, majesty."

"And your birthmark?"  
"Excuse me?"

"You have an oddly shaped birthmark, I know. Whether you know is the real test," Cassandra bit her lip. Della thought hard. She had freckles on her shoulders and one on her foot, but she doubted the Queen was thinking of that. Then she knew.

"I have a crown above my heart." She always found it funny how much it looked like a crown, but little did she know that it was branded on her when she was six months old for identification purposes like this. Della suddenly found herself in a warm embrace.

"I always thought you were dead. Oh look how much you've grown! And none of this 'majesty' stuff anymore. You'll call me Mum, Mother around formal company. We'll have to catch up over breakfast and supper and dinner-"

"Oh, Mum, you're smothering her!" Evelyn interjected.

"That's my job! I'm a mother! Come on, let's eat."

**Up next: battle plans, families reunite, boy drama, someone is kidnapped.**  
**Eventually, Della will have to make some choices: Ranger or royalty? Family or kingdom? Love or politics?**

**Review for a sneak peak!**  
**xoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

RA 14

**I'm back...**

The rest of the day was filled with conferences and battle planning and discussing and arguing. Della absolutely loved it- this was what being a Ranger was all about, right?- but her twin could not be any different from her. Evelyn didn't just look bored… she had an aura of disappointment around her. As Della slipped out of the room for a quick break (definitely _not _to go see what Benjy was up to, no, no, n- okay, yes), Evelyn followed her.

"Hi," Evelyn said uncertainly. Della thought Evelyn looked beautiful today, with her hair done up all regally with tiny jewels that sparkled subtly. She hoped thinking this didn't make her a narcissist- she is her twin, after all.

"Hi," Della replied, in what she hoped was a grateful manner. They were standing in the middle of a massive corridor constructed of gray stone and giant windows. She loved it; it reminded her of Redmont. What exactly do you say to a long lost sister you never knew about? Do you what her favorite meal is, their parents' birthdays, what she does in her spare time-

"I'm really, really glad you're here," Evelyn blurted out. "I'm completely rubbish at this royalty nonsense, but I can tell you love it. You'd make a good Queen."

"Woah, no way," Della said incredulously. "I barely knew I was even a part of this family until a month ago. And I would never want to steal your title away from you," she protested.

Evelyn shook her head viciously, saying, "I don't even want to be Queen. I can't do this negotiating, pondering, discussing, good-representative, run-Araluen-smoothly nonsense. I'm too… soft to make these important decisions. Besides, I can see the way Mum and Dad are so impressed with you so far, and the other Lords and Ladies too."

"But I only just got here! And you've been living this for you entire life. I'm sure you're plenty good at it too!" Was this how all royal family reunions went?

Evelyn shook her head once more. "Just- please, when they ask you to step in as me, please promise me you'll say yes?"

Della was completely baffled. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Either way, she couldn't ignore how helpless and desperate Evelyn looked at her. "Okay, fine."

Evelyn visibly brightened. "Oh, thank you," she breathed. Hooking her arm through Della's, she said, "Let's go down to the kitchens and see if Jenny will give us any cake."

Della giggled, "Who's Jenny?"

"Only the best chef in the entire world! Just you wait. Oh! And who's Benjy?" Evelyn wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"Boyfriend, I guess," Della whispered dramatically.

"Do you want to know who I really, really like?" Evelyn blushed. "Connor," she whispered.

"Oh, he's handsome. Good choice." Evelyn blushed harder, then, together, they laughed down to the kitchens.

* * *

A little far off, Cassandra smiled as she watched her daughters laugh together. She had missed too many years with her youngest, but she hoped she could get them back now. She had no regrets about welcoming her into the family so quickly; it almost felt as though she filled a void in her chest that she just noticed now. The only thing that upset her was…

Walking back from the outhouse, Horace started at the sight of his wife staring him down. He considered trying to run away, but ducked his head and walked meekly over instead.

"What were you thinking, hiding one of our daughters away like that?" she hissed at him.

"I was thinking about Halt and his own family- how royalty shoved them apart," he told her honestly. "I didn't want them to destroy each other over something like this. I didn't know what to do- it just sort of happened- and then-"

"You realized you picked the wrong child." Her tone was disappointed, resigned, regretful. "What kind of father are you to love your children based on the good they can do? Are you some sort of god to decide the fate of their lives?"

"No- I-"

"And don't you think we would have taught them better than to be spiteful? So in the end, you doubted your children, yourself, and me." She looked at him with her blue eyes shining.

"No, Cassie, I promise, never! It was all- it was all just so terrifying at the time! I was going to be king, father of not one but two children, husband to the most impeccable woman in the world-"

"Oh, don't try to flatter me like that," she shoved against him, but Horace just wrapped his arms around Cassandra's elbows.

"I know I did wrong; I regret it every day, even now," he whispered. "Just help me fix it, please?"

She finally relented. "Fine," she said with a quick kiss.

* * *

The ballroom was _hot._ Too many flustered people were bustling about, too much talking was being done, and the fire was a bit too strong. Maps were spread across the table, tracing the war path of the Temuj'ai. Liam did not want to fight again, not against these people for the third time. He remembered what Connor had told them the other day. About how the Temuj'ai were angry because he escaped. A war certainly couldn't start over one prisoner, right?

Mel was gesturing at a map hanging on a wall. "To the south, we only have minor powers. In the Great Temuj'an War, the Tualaghi was wiped out, and the rest of the desert tribes are still struggling with drought and famine. Although they are not major threats, they are not major resources either."

He loved his daughter with all of his soul- what's left of it. The Temuj'ai completely destroyed him, turned him into someone he hated. Fifteen years and he still had nightmares. It was good that he stayed away from his family, to protect them… right? And yet he couldn't stop thinking about what Della had told him the other day. _Go to your family, Will. They can help you heal much more than you can ever protect them._ How the hell did she know his real name? He rubbed his arm and continued to listen to his daughter.

She moved her hand north, towards the middle of the map. "The Aslava are gone, the Toscano are still under Temuj'an influence, and the Gallicans are disorganized and corrupt, not that they like us anyway." Despite the worried atmosphere, a few in the room chuckled.

"What I'm saying," she continued, "is that the Temuj'ai are moving toward us quickly, but why? What do they want from us? How can we stop them?"

The room burst into discussion again. Alliances, battle tactics, protection, war. Just then, the royal twins walked in, and when everyone noticed them, the room fell silent.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" Della whispered to her sister.

"Not _us_," she whispered back. "Just _you_. No one else knows you're alive, remember?" She cleared her throat. "Lords and Ladies," Evelyn announced regally. "I would like to introduce you to my long lost twin sister, Adelair Altman." The room burst into discussion once more. Rolling his eyes, Liam quietly left the room, catching Alyss' hand on the way out. It was like a sauna in there. Or a desert.

* * *

"I miss you," he told her when they were tucked away in an empty room.

"Come back to me, Will," she pleaded. Seeing him start to shake his head, she pressed on, "I don't care if you think you're damaged or dangerous or broken. I can help you; you just need to let me. Always together. Remember, like we said on our wedding day?"

"You still wear it," he said, looking at the simple silver band around her ring finger.

"I still love you," she whispered gently. Will tilted his head up to kiss her, slowly, sweetly, uncertainly. He remembered the last time he kissed his wife: he had jerked out of a restless nightmare to find a leather water canteen at his lips. Delirious, he pushed her up against a wall, hands around her throat. It was the last time they slept under the same roof.

"I don't deserve you."

"Yes, you do," Alyss said sternly. "You are the sweetest man I've ever man, always working tremendously hard to make yourself a better person, always helping people, always a cheerful force when people need you. It's okay for you to need help too." Shaking, Will shrugged off his cloak and started wriggling out of his shirt. "What are you doing?"  
He stood before her, half naked. "This is what they did to me, Alyss." She took his left arm in hers, eyes glassy at the vicious scars that still haven't faded in fifteen years. One long, thick scar raced from his shoulder to his wrist, with tiny horizontal scars covering the rest of his arm. "There's one for every day they had me," he said bitterly. "I can feel them burn every time the string of my bow slaps against my arm."  
"Then why do you shoot so much?"

"I think the pain keeps me grounded. Am I a madman?"

"No, of course not," Alyss murmured, running her fingers lightly over his scars. Will held up his right arm, showing off a ship branded at his elbow.

"When I was a slave in Skandia, they branded me. If I went back and someone saw it, they could enslave me again." He shivered even harder at the lack of memories from his drug-induced life. "I don't know what's worse: remembering every single agonizing moment or not being able to remember what happened at all. It's like I have no control over my life. No will power," he sneered to himself.

Alyss rubbed her warm hands across Will's surprisingly scar-free chest. "I promise you," she said, "I promise you are okay. You just have to believe it."

"But it just gets worse," he whimpered. "They liked to keep the front clean because- because-" he just shook his head and slowly turned around.

"All this time and you never showed me?" Alyss gasped. His back was even worse than his arm. She kissed a particularly long scar that stretched from his right shoulder to his left hip. No wonder he started wearing his quiver backwards…

"It's why I don't like leather," he said to the floor. "They loved it too much." All this time, he had hidden his weaknesses, his nightmares, his terrors. He had slipped into the role of a brand new person, pretending that his memories didn't exist. "I'm tired of running away from myself."

"Run to me, Will; I can catch you." Alyss rubbed his shoulders and wrapped her arms around him.

"But it gets worse. They made me- I didn't want to- but she-" he stammered, hiccupped, and breathed too quickly. "Do you promise not to leave me? Please?" The shame in his voice and tension in his shoulders were overwhelming. "Even if it's unforgivable?"

"Of course I won't leave you. Look at me," she tried to turn him around. "What's wrong?"

"The reason they kept my chest clean was because they didn't like looking at the blood and scars."

"I don't understand…"

"I think they would bribe the guards to get in and sometimes they would bring food. I- I honestly didn't want to; please believe me!" He finally fell to the floor, unable to hold himself up against his secrets. "At first they would force themselves on me, but then- it hurt so much- I let them because afterwards they wouldn't ask me any questions."

"Will, you're not making any sense." He buried his face into the crook of Alyss' neck.

"They used me as a prostitute," he sobbed. Alyss froze. "I'm sorry," he shook. "And one of the women looked just like you, and I would beg you- her- to stop, but she wouldn't… Please say something."

"I'm sorry, Will," she whispered soothingly. "I'm angry that the Temuj'ai would dare to treat you this way and upset that I could never help you, and yet I admire you for your courage to keep living every single day. Go to sleep now," she said, throwing his cloak over him. "I'll hold you." He slept for the first time in years, head on her lap, feeling her fingers sift through his hair. For once, he was at peace with himself.

**Wow, okay, quite a bit happened here.  
The twins become friends, not bitter enemies. Phew, what a relief (hint hint: the who-will-be-Queen storyline will be going somewhere...)  
Horace got told off a bit for screwing up.  
We figure out a little bit more about what happened to Will in the Great Temuj'an War and what is going on with his relationship with Alyss.**

**Up next: battle planning, sacrifices, pairings, kidnapping, roles changing.  
What's going to happen when the Temuj'ai attack? Stick with me.**

**Love y'all! Please come back!**

**-Liss**


End file.
